


ashes

by inkin_brushes



Series: Immortals (Vamp AU) [14]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-20
Updated: 2014-08-20
Packaged: 2018-05-27 07:06:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6274582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkin_brushes/pseuds/inkin_brushes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sanghyuk wished things had gone differently.</p>
            </blockquote>





	ashes

“That was fun,” Hongbin said lightly, before he lifted the grate and smoothly hopped down into the tunnels that led to their home. 

Wonshik shifted the little shoebox in his arms. It was the only thing they hadn’t gone through in front of Hakyeon and Taekwoon. It wasn’t anything secret per se, just a bunch of photos, but Wonshik wanted to go through them in private. Everything else had been sorted through, and in a few days, Hakyeon would be bringing by all the boxes they had labelled as _keep_. 

“If by fun, you mean vaguely embarrassing, then yeah, I guess,” Wonshik called down. He followed Hongbin, replacing the grate as he went. The photos stacked in the box shifted, strangely loud. 

“It was only embarrassing because of all the crap you kept,” Hongbin said, beginning to walk down the tunnels.

Wonshik tripped after him. “My crap? _My_ crap? The nudey calendars were bad, but the maid outfit was the worst and that was yours—”

Hongbin snorted, a most un-vampiric sound. “Okay, first off, it might have been mine, but it was your idea, and _you_ kept it,” he said. “When you went through my things after I was turned, you should have tossed it—”

“I couldn’t do that!”

“Why would you even keep it—”

“For— for the memories,” Wonshik mumbled, knowing if he were human he would be blushing. “I didn’t want to throw anything of yours out.”

“Oh god, the _memories_ ,” Hongbin said, giving a mock shudder. “The night I put that on was the worst night of my life.”

“That’s the worst night of your life?” Wonshik asked, indignant. “Me fucking you while you were wearing a skirt was a worse experience than you getting abducted by a nest of vampires and turned?”

Hongbin looked at him solemnly. “Yes.”

“You’re such a jerk,” Wonshik said, shoving at Hongbin’s shoulder lightly, and Hongbin shot a smile at him, dimples appearing. There was a familiar warmth in Wonshik’s chest, that even being dead couldn’t dampen. “God, Hakyeon’s face when you pulled it out of the box—”

Hongbin chuckled. “He turned so red.”

“Not as red as he turned after you _said he could have it_ ,” Wonshik said, accusing, and Hongbin broke out into peals of laughter that echoed down the tunnels. 

“I was just teasing him,” Hongbin said mischievously, “besides, Taekwoon thought it was funny.”

“He did?” Wonshik asked, and Hongbin nodded. “How could you tell, he just looked miffed to me. He always looks miffed to me.”

“He’s not that hard to read.” Hongbin shrugged. “He’s just—” Suddenly Hongbin stopped, tipping his face up slightly, sniffing that air. “Can you smell that?”

Wonshik sniffed the air, smelling dampness, earth. “Uh, moldy tunnel?” 

“Human,” Hongbin said, eyes fluttering shut as he inhaled again. “Sanghyuk.” 

Wonshik’s stomach lurched. Sanghyuk— here— _no_. “Come on,” he said roughly, flitting down the tunnel at vampire speed, and Hongbin followed. As they descended further, Wonshik was able to smell what Hongbin did. It was faint, but definitely there, getting stronger the further they went. Human. Sanghyuk. 

When they reached the door, large and wooden and imposing, Wonshik paused, just for a moment. He was afraid, he found. If Sanghyuk was here— oh god, if Jaehwan had hurt him—

Wonshik grasped the doorknob and pulled. The spells of the house parted, and the scent of blood, Sanghyuk’s blood, poured through the seam, thick and sickening. “No,” Wonshik said, gagging on it, and Hongbin stumbled back, hands slapping over his mouth. 

“I can’t,” Hongbin said, muffed from behind his hands. “I can’t, the smell—”

“Stay here,” Wonshik said numbly, “I’ll come back after— after I see—” 

Hongbin nodded jerkily, and Wonshik heard him stop breathing, to keep himself from inhaling any more of the smell. Wonshik stepped slowly through the doorway, like he was in some surreal reality. He set the shoebox of photos down on the garish coffee table, not really thinking about it. There wasn’t anything in the living room, no sign of a struggle, but the scent of blood was stronger, so deeper into the house he went. 

The house was quiet and still, and Wonshik was straining to hear something, anything, over the silencing charms, so when he finally heard the very faint sound of a heartbeat, he nearly sobbed. He followed it, down the long hallways, until it was like a drum in his ears, far stronger than he’d expected, emitting from Jaehwan’s room. 

The door was cracked, and Wonshik wasn’t in a knocking mood. He placed his hand on the wood and shoved, the door swinging open. Wonshik recoiled, the air here smelling even thicker of blood, but now he could smell other things under it, sweat, arousal, _come_. He grimaced, upper lip curling to show fang.

Jaehwan was sitting propped up in his bed, a book in his lap. He was shirtless, hair damp and slicked away from his face. Beside him, Sanghyuk was— 

Wonshik strode into the room, feeling a low growl rumbling in the base of his throat. “You bastard—”

“Shush,” Jaehwan said softly, and Wonshik found his mouth snapping shut, almost involuntarily. “You’ll wake Sanghyuk.” He reached over, gently carding his hand through Sanghyuk’s hair. Sanghyuk snuffled. He was naked, curled up beside Jaehwan, sleeping soundly. His body was positively _covered_ in bites and bruises, but his heartbeat was strong, his breathing deep and even.

Wonshik stopped by the bed, chest heaving, finding he had to work to speak. “Don’t touch him,” he said, and it came out far softer than he’d intended. 

“Bit late for that,” Jaehwan said simply. He looked up at Wonshik and smirked. “I’ve touched every piece of him.”

Wonshik was trembling, from horror, and a slow, awful burn of rage. He didn’t think he had ever been so furious. His hands had curled into claws, and he lashed out, lunging forward like he was going to wrap his hands around Jaehwan’s neck, choke the life out of him, but he found he couldn’t do it. His hands stopped before they could touch Jaehwan’s skin, and they trembled in the air with the effort, but he _couldn’t_. 

Jaehwan’s smirk widened.

Wonshik’s muscles were burning, and he snatched his hands back, snarling. “You’re a fucking bastard.”

“You said that already,” Jaehwan murmured, rolling his eyes. “I’m bored of this, get out of my room.”

“Bored—” Wonshik gasped out in outrage. “You can’t just— just assault someone I love and expect me to drop it—”

Jaehwan shot him a scathing look. “I didn’t _assault_ him.”

“Let him tell me that,” Wonshik growled, and he reached for Sanghyuk, but then Jaehwan’s hand was around his wrist like a vice, his face pushed close to Wonshik’s own.

“Get. Out,” Jaehwan said silkily, voice low. 

“I’m not leaving without Sanghyuk,” Wonshik said stubbornly, though it was painful for him to do so. There was something pulling at him, urging him to get out of there.

“Oh, yes, you are,” Jaehwan murmured, and he gave Wonshik a shove, making him stumble back. Before Wonshik could think about it, he was stumbling an extra few steps, closer towards the door, and he couldn’t make his feet stop. “I’m not finished with him yet.”

Wonshik snarled, but he couldn’t _do_ anything. He planted his feet on the carpet, refusing to move. It hurt. “You can’t—”

“I can, if he lets me,” Jaehwan said, and he laughed softly, “and he will. He was begging me for it.” Wonshik shook his head, like if he denied it, it would all end up being some awful nightmare. Jaehwan cocked his head to the side, looking thoughtful. “Besides, you need to worry about your own bedmate.”

Wonshik blinked. “What?”

“You left Crazy outside the door of the house, I could sense it— but he’s not there anymore.” Jaehwan looked at Wonshik. “Might want to snag him before he gets himself in trouble.”

Sudden dread settled heavily in Wonshik’s stomach. His eyes darted to the door, then to Sanghyuk’s prone form, then back to the door. 

“Fuck,” he spat, and then he was whirling, flitting out of Jaehwan’s bedroom, down the hall, out—

Wonshik had been hoping that Jaehwan was lying to get him to leave, but Wonshik was greeted by an empty tunnel upon hurtling out the front door. “Fuck,” he said again, and his voice was loud and harsh. “Hongbin!” he screamed, an edge of panic beginning to claw at him. The only reply he got was his own voice, echoing back.

There was no scent trail heading further down the tunnels, so Wonshik ran back the way they’d come, back to the grate and up onto the street. He inhaled the cool night air, smelling Hongbin, trying to discern what trails were fresh and which were from earlier. He wasn’t good at this, not like Hongbin, and the panic wasn’t helping. He couldn’t _think_.

Wonshik flitted out of the alleyway, following what he hoped was the right trail. The street was quiet, and Wonshik had to box down the urge to just scream for Hongbin. He didn’t want to draw attention to them, not when Hongbin was somewhere alone. At the end of the block the trail curved, and Wonshik followed it down a new street. A light breeze blew towards him, Hongbin’s scent strong in it, and the unmistakable coppery scent of human blood. If Hongbin had made a kill he should still be close, oh please—

Wonshik ran down the sidewalk, feet falling silently on the pavement, urgency sparking in his fingertips. The smell of blood was getting stronger and stronger, clogging everything else out. There was an alleyway ahead, and Wonshik didn’t pause as he bounded into it— and he knocked right into someone running out of it.

He yelped, pulling back, hands shooting up to grasp at the person’s shoulders— Hongbin, it was Hongbin, eyes wild and mouth smeared with blood. Their eyes locked and Hongbin stopped squirming, breathing out, “ _Wonshik_ ,” and Wonshik tugged him forward roughly, crushing Hongbin to his chest. 

“Fuck,” Wonshik gasped out. “I thought I’d lost you again.”

Hongbin hunched into him, hands grasping at the back of Wonshik’s shirt. “I’m sorry,” he said, muffled against Wonshik’s chest. “I’m sorry.” 

Wonshik pressed his mouth to Hongbin’s hair, and as he did so he glanced into the alleyway. There was a person laying there, a man. No heartbeat. Wonshik looked away.

“I didn’t mean to,” Hongbin was saying, almost to himself. “The— the smell of blood was so strong, and I tried to not think about it, but it had me, and I— I just lost it.”

“It’s alright,” Wonshik said, petting Hongbin’s hair. “It’s alright, but we need to get off the street, someone may have heard—”

“Sanghyuk,” Hongbin said, pulling Wonshik back when he made to move away. “Is Sanghyuk alive?”

Wonshik swallowed. “Yes,” he replied. “He— he and Jaehwan— I’m not exactly sure what happened— but he’s alive.” He tugged himself out of Hongbin’s grasp, holding his wrist so he could tug him along. “We need to get back, Jaehwan ordered me away, but— but we need to get Sanghyuk out of there.”

“I can’t, I don’t want to lose it again,” Hongbin said, a little desperate. “I mean, I don’t think I will, because I fed— but I don’t know for sure, and I don’t want to accidentally attack Sanghyuk.” He looked wretched. “And we both know I’m no match for Jaehwan, anyway. He’d just toss me out as well.”

A new sense of urgency was prickling under Wonshik’s skin. “Well, I— where are we supposed to go then?” He looked at the sky, which wasn’t fully dark anymore.

“We’ll go to Taekwoon’s— he’ll know what to do,” Hongbin said. 

“Dawn is close,” Wonshik said. “Too close.”

Hongbin’s features hardened. “We’ll have to run then.” 

“This is a terrible idea,” Wonshik said, but he knew that they couldn’t go home, and of everyone they knew, Taekwoon was the only vampire in a position to do anything. So when Hongbin tugged Wonshik down the street, he followed, letting himself slip into that vampire run, their slippery ability to flit from shadow to shadow. 

Those shadows, though, got fewer and fewer, lightening with the sky. They made it most of the way at a breakneck pace, feeling the approaching dawn like a physical force, before they had to slow, closer to a human speed. Wonshik began to feel weak, tired. He’d never been on the surface this close to dawn before. 

There were people out. Not many, just a few here and there, lulled into a sense of security by the paling sky. It was positively grey, and as they ran, the streetlamps flickered off. They passed by a woman who gave them an odd look, and Wonshik wondered what she thought about them. The oncoming dawn was making him slow and clumsy. Maybe they were passing. 

“Here,” Hongbin said, voice thready, and they turned a corner, onto the street where Taekwoon’s grate was. It was blissfully empty as they stumbled down it, finally arriving at the mouth of the right alleyway. 

“We made it,” Wonshik said, taking a few steps into the dark shadows the buildings cast, before he realized that Hongbin had dropped his hand. He blearily looked behind himself, seeing Hongbin had stopped at the mouth of the alleyway. “Hongbin.”

Hongbin gave no indication that he’d heard. He was staring, transfixed, at something down the street, the way they had come. Wonshik tripped back onto the sidewalk, wrapping his hands around Hongbin’s upper arm, and he turned his face to see what Hongbin was so enthralled by—

He was expecting there to be a person, but the street was still empty. Instead, on the horizon, the grey had given way to vibrant oranges and reds, the underbellies of the clouds tinged magenta. It was on the tip of his tongue to say that they needed to move, but the words died in his throat as he watched the colors bleed upwards with wide eyes. It was bright, so bright, brighter than he’d ever remember it being when he was human, the clouds catching fire as the sky turned yellow, white, and then— 

The sun broke over the horizon. 

Wonshik screamed, recoiling. He was on fire, he was _burning_ — he couldn’t see— 

Wonshik threw himself backwards into the alleyway, into the shade, with strength he didn’t know he still had. “Hongbin,” he choked out, pressing his hands to his eyes. They were still there, which was somewhat reassuring, since they felt as if they’d been charred out. Everywhere the sunlight had touched him was blistering pain. 

“I’m okay,” Hongbin gasped, from somewhere to Wonshik’s left, so he was farther in the shade than Wonshik was. 

Wonshik pulled his hands away from his eyes and blinked, finding he still couldn’t see, but his eyes and skin were itching, so he knew they were healing. He closed his eyes and fumbled for Hongbin, fingertips brushing against his shirt and closing in the material.

“Can you see?” Wonshik asked. 

“No,” Hongbin mumbled. “That really hurt.”

“You think?” Wonshik said, snappish. “Come on.”

The grate was easy to find, it positively radiated magic. Wonshik pulled it up and then shoved Hongbin down into the tunnels. He squawked as he went down, landing with an audible _fwump_. Wonshik felt around for the ladder, using it to climb down so he could replace the grate. 

Once Wonshik was at the bottom he blinked his eyes open and— he could see. Badly, but it was some improvement. His skin was covered in burns, reddened, the wounds raw and open. Hongbin was no better; in fact, he may have been worse. He still clearly couldn’t see, his eyes were—

Wonshik looked away, swallowing against the sickness in his stomach, knowing the both of them would heal. He grasped Hongbin’s hand, leading him away from the grate and into total darkness. Wonshik could feel the sun in the sky, even if he couldn’t see it underground. It was a weight on his shoulders, exhausting him.

It felt like ages before they reached the door to Taekwoon’s place, the cool metal feeling like bliss to Wonshik’s overheated skin. When he put his hand on the knob, though, it wouldn’t turn. 

“Taekwoon,” Wonshik slurred, and he knocked on the door, punctuating each knock with an _ow_. His skin was healing but not as fast as he’d like. 

The door swung open, and Wonshik found himself face to face with Hakyeon, not Taekwoon. “Wonshik?” Hakyeon asked, gaping a little. “Oh my god, what happened—”

“Daylight,” Hongbin mumbled, shoving past Hakyeon into Taekwoon’s apartment. Wonshik followed after him, Hakyeon pulling back to let him by before closing the door behind them.

Taekwoon was sitting up in his bed, looking more awake than Wonshik felt, though not by much. Hongbin weaved his way to Taekwoon’s sofa, which he flopped face first onto and then did not move. Wonshik didn’t make it that far, falling to his knees, and then onto his side on the thinly carpeted floor. He was so tired— but—

“Hakyeon,” Wonshik mumbled thickly, making vague, wavy hand motions at his friend. 

Hakyeon knelt beside Wonshik, face concerned. He reached out to touch Wonshik’s shoulder, but then recoiled, probably because Wonshik’s burns were still healing. “Are they going to be alright?” he asked frantically, directing the question over his shoulder, at Taekwoon.

“Yes,” Taekwoon said, very soft. “Wounds caused by sunlight take more time to heal, but they will. They must rest.” 

Wonshik was barely conscious. “You have to— Sanghyuk,” he mumbled, and then he was out, for a second, before Hakyeon was roughly shaking him by the shoulder. The pain made him resurface.

“What about Sanghyuk?” Hakyeon demanded. 

“Jaehwan,” Wonshik whispered, and Hakyeon’s face clouded over. “They’re— our home— too much blood—” Wonshik’s eyes fluttered shut.

“Is Sanghyuk alive?” Hakyeon asked harshly. He shook Wonshik again.

“Yes,” Wonshik said. “Had to— leave him— Jaehwan— maker—” He didn’t think he was making much sense, could barely string any thoughts together, let alone words. 

Hakyeon growled. “I’m going to kill him,” he said, mouth twisted into a snarl, and then he was on his feet, striding away.

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon said, shifting slowly, like he was going to get out of the bed, but Hakyeon was already gone, the door to the apartment swinging shut with a _bang_.

——

Sanghyuk woke slowly, dragged out of the depths of unconsciousness by the uncomfortable bite to the air around him. He snuffled, curling further into himself, pressing against something warm. A gentle soreness between his legs reminded him that he wasn’t home, he was—

He blinked his eyes open slowly, even though they didn’t want to go. He was laying near where he’d conked out earlier, last night? Yesterday? He didn’t know what time it was, if it had been hours or days. He was still sore enough that he rather thought it hadn’t been days, and he shifted, gauging the extent of the aches and twinges, finding he felt better than he had when he’d drifted off, not nearly as sore as he’d been. He might have liked it, liked the reminder of what had happened, if it hadn’t turned so sour by the end. Why did Jaehwan have to be such a dick. 

Jaehwan. Sanghyuk lifted his head, and something— Jaehwan’s hand— slid off his head. He was sleeping beside Sanghyuk, who had, apparently, half pressed against his side in his sleep, probably because Jaehwan had been so warm earlier. Now he was more of a gentle tepid temperature. Sanghyuk got the impression that Jaehwan had been petting his hair and had dozed off doing so. 

He sighed. Jaehwan looked so peaceful in his sleep, no trace of his usual smirk. He looked _soft_ , and Sanghyuk wished things had gone differently. Most of it had been nice, intense, but nice. Really nice. Jaehwan’s mouth on his, the way he let Sanghyuk— touch him— and the biting— fuck, even remembering it now sent shivers up Sanghyuk’s spine. It had been so _good_ , but then Jaehwan had gotten just that bit too vampire, an edge of sadism that even Sanghyuk, for all he was realizing he had a masochistic streak, couldn’t handle. Sanghyuk didn’t even think he’d done it on purpose, it was just— just _Jaehwan_. Sanghyuk should have known better than to expect anything else from a vampire like Jaehwan, and he’d have to attend to that, adjust his mental state. He found that awful, rough feeling in his chest wasn’t so bad now, was more of just a hollow feeling, unpleasant but bearable. 

Sanghyuk sighed again, heavier than before. It was done, Sanghyuk couldn’t, wouldn’t, take it back, and he should probably pull himself together and head home.

He was still trying to gather up the gumption to move when there was a loud bang that resonated through the room. He jerked, half sitting up, feeling the bites peppered over his neck and chest pull unpleasantly as he moved, and searched blearily for the source of the noise. 

Hakyeon was standing in the doorway of Jaehwan’s room, chest heaving, and Sanghyuk’s stomach lurched. Beside Sanghyuk on the bed, Jaehwan stirred from his sleep, strangely sluggish. He’d pulled on some loose sweatpants before drifting off, Sanghyuk noted quickly, gratefully, but Sanghyuk himself was still naked, still sticky and bloody. Hakyeon hadn’t moved, was just _staring_ , something terrifying in his eyes.

Sanghyuk’s face warmed unpleasantly, and he shifted, sitting up fully, covering his crotch. “I can explain—” he began, thinking that really, he couldn’t explain this, but it didn’t matter, because then Hakyeon was moving, striding forward alarmingly quickly. Sanghyuk didn’t realize what he was going to do until he caught the flash of a blade, and then Hakyeon’s arm was coming down, and Jaehwan made a horrendous shrieking noise as he saw the threat coming. He pushed himself up, rolling away clumsily, so Hakyeon ended up burying the blade into the mattress instead of into Jaehwan’s heart, which was what he’d been aiming for.

Hakyeon snarled and grabbed at Jaehwan with his free hand, locking onto his arm and dragging him closer as he wrenched the blade free of the mattress. Jaehwan shrieked again, trying to squirm away but not managing it, and Sanghyuk didn’t understand—

Hakyeon brought the knife up again, and Jaehwan looked genuinely frightened. “ _Sanghyuk_ ,” Jaehwan cried, and finally Sanghyuk realized it must be daylight out, Jaehwan was— he wasn’t—

Sanghyuk surged forward, grabbing onto Hakyeon’s wrist to stop him bringing the knife down. “Stop, _stop_ , oh god what are you doing?” Sanghyuk yelled, tugging on Hakyeon’s wrist, trying to get the knife out of his hand. 

Hakyeon relinquished his hold on Jaehwan in favor of trying to pry Sanghyuk’s hands off his wrist. “Killing him,” Hakyeon growled, not taking his eyes off Jaehwan, who was weakly scooting away. Fuck, Sanghyuk was miffed at Jaehwan, but he didn’t want him dead over this.

“You can’t,” Jaehwan gasped, and shit, the daylight really did a number on vamps, he was actually in danger here. “I’m Taekwoon’s brother, and we have our differences, but he’d still be upset if I died.” He was practically slurring. 

Hakyeon made an incoherent sound of rage, and he roughly shoved Sanghyuk away, finally dislodging him. Sanghyuk fell back into the mattress, Hakyeon a blur as he went for Jaehwan again. This time when he brought the knife down Jaehwan wasn’t quite fast enough, and Jaehwan screamed as Hakyeon buried it into his chest, just missing his heart.

“He’ll forgive me,” Hakyeon hissed, and Jaehwan’s cries melted off into gurgling sobs as blood began to rush into his lungs, up his throat. 

Sanghyuk threw himself forward, tackling Hakyeon around the stomach so the both of them tumbled off the side of the bed and onto the floor, hitting the carpet hard. They grappled for a moment, and Sanghyuk felt some of the bites, freshly scabbed over, pulling and cracking. He was able to get his hands against Hakyeon’s chest, shoving him hard, away from himself, away from the bed, tumbling him backwards onto the carpet, and Sanghyuk scrambled to find his feet before Hakyeon got his bearings. He whirled once he was standing, leaning over to wrench the knife out of Jaehwan’s chest — Jaehwan made a pathetic keening sound — before turning back to face Hakyeon, lowering himself into a defensive crouch, dagger up.

Hakyeon didn’t bounce up like Sanghyuk was expecting him to. Instead he got slowly to his feet, still clearly seething, but now there was confusion on his face as well. He stared at Sanghyuk hard, hands balled into fists, and Sanghyuk could feel his ears warming up. He was still fucking naked, and he felt ridiculous, but he wasn’t going to let this get worse. He wasn’t sure it could get any worse. 

One of his wounds began to bleed again, sending a single line of blood down over his collarbones. Hakyeon pursed his lips before asking, “Why are you protecting him?”

“He didn’t do anything, Hakyeon,” Sanghyuk said, tentatively raising himself out of his crouch but not lowering the dagger. 

Hakyeon’s nostrils flared. “Didn’t do anything—” he spluttered, outraged, and he gestured at Sanghyuk’s form. “Look at yourself.”

The blood was dripping down, over his stomach, his hipbone. Sanghyuk swallowed. “He didn’t do anything I didn’t want him to do,” he whispered. _For the most part_ , he added in his mind, but he didn’t want to be splitting hairs right now. Hakyeon was ready to commit murder, and he didn’t need any more ammo. 

“You—” Hakyeon began, before sucking in a breath and pressing his lips together. He was scowling, but he also suddenly looked thoughtful, and Sanghyuk didn’t think it boded well.

“Can I put some clothes on?” Sanghyuk asked plaintively. He was suddenly tired, so tired, he just wanted to be home and in his own bed and maybe stay there for a few months until the humiliation wore off. “Please.”

Hakyeon let out a long breath through his nose before saying, “Yes.” It was clipped, unhappy. His hands were still balled into fists by his side. 

Sanghyuk tossed a look at Jaehwan over his shoulder. There was blood smeared across his chest, and he looked— wilted, a shade of what he usually was. He blinked at Sanghyuk slowly, but he understood what Sanghyuk wanted. “They’re over there,” he said softly, motioning to the corner of the room where a large armchair sat. Sanghyuk could dimly make out his clothes piled on the seat.

He edged toward the chair, watching Hakyeon carefully as he did so, as he dressed. Hakyeon didn’t move, was disturbingly still, almost vampiric. He was watching Sanghyuk with an intensity Sanghyuk had only seen in his eyes during a hunt.

“Alright,” Sanghyuk said once he was dressed, voice placating. He needed to get Hakyeon out of there, away from Jaehwan. “Let’s get out of here.” Hakyeon still didn’t move. “Please, Hakyeon. I want to go home.”

Something in his voice cracked Hakyeon. “Yes,” he said, sounding a little calmer, a little more normal. “Yes, come on.” He looked at Jaehwan, glaring balefully. “This isn’t over.” He turned stiffly, striding toward the doorway, where he stopped, waiting for Sanghyuk. 

Jaehwan slid off the bed, legs apparently too weak to support him so he leaned up against the bedpost. “I got the point, Hakyeon.”

“Good,” Hakyeon said coolly, “but if you’d really absorbed it, you’d drop the glamour.”

Sanghyuk’s head whipped around so he could stare at Hakyeon in shock. “I’m not glamoured,” he said, right as Jaehwan said, “He’s not glamoured.”

Hakyeon looked unimpressed. “Come on, Sanghyuk. Let’s get you home.” 

Sanghyuk wanted to repeat that he wasn’t glamoured, wanted to prove it, but he also wanted to get out of there and if Hakyeon was willing to go along with it, he shouldn’t resist. 

Hakyeon would realize the truth soon enough anyway.

Sanghyuk made for the door, stopping beside Jaehwan and meeting his eyes. Hakyeon hissed something under his breath, and Sanghyuk could feel him staring at them, coiled, waiting. Sanghyuk wanted to say something, but he didn’t have the words to convey everything he was feeling. Just because he’d saved Jaehwan from Hakyeon didn’t mean he was alright with what had happened tonight, precisely, he just didn’t think Jaehwan deserved to die over it. Sanghyuk was sore, his bites throbbing, and he still felt curiously hollowed out. He hadn’t wanted— wanted this to happen like this, and he’d hoped to be able to talk with Jaehwan, fix this ache in his chest somehow—

Sanghyuk tore his eyes away from Jaehwan’s and laughed, suddenly, jarringly, the sound empty. “Fuck, I’m an idiot,” he muttered to himself, then he turned and followed Hakyeon out into the tunnels, and then up into the daylight. 

Hakyeon had apparently driven there, and he bundled Sanghyuk into his car once they were back on the street. The sunlight was crisp, the sky that clear pale blue that just followed dawn. Sanghyuk sat silently in the passenger seat as Hakyeon drove, watching the city whiz by in a daze. He knew he wasn’t helping to prove he wasn’t glamoured by zoning out, but sitting beside Hakyeon in the car in the harsh light of day made everything that he’d done in the dark of Jaehwan’s house feel so surreal, almost like it hadn’t really happened. 

His freshly bleeding wound had stained his shirt, he realized dimly. He’d liked this shirt. 

“I forgot to grab my jacket,” Sanghyuk mumbled, lips feeling numb. 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hakyeon glance at him. “Wonshik will get it back for you.”

Wonshik. “Where is Wonshik? Did he— was he there?” Sanghyuk asked. He knew it was daylight and everything but he had a hard time believing Wonshik, weak or not, would have stood aside while Hakyeon was attempting to murder his maker. 

“He— no,” Hakyeon said, and Sanghyuk waited, but that was apparently all Hakyeon was going to say about it. 

Silence fell again, and Sanghyuk couldn’t take it. “What— what just happened? How did you _know_? And why would you— do that—”

Again with the swift side-glance. “I did it because— Wonshik came to Taekwoon’s place, had dragged himself over after finding you in Jaehwan’s bed, I guess. He passed out, but not before telling me you were there and— and that there was blood, a lot of blood,” Hakyeon said, and Sanghyuk felt a wave of guilt and shame sweep through him. “I was there and— I assumed—”

“You assumed Jaehwan had glamoured me, abducted me, and—” Sanghyuk cut himself off, feeling angry, all of a sudden. He’d endured enough humiliation this evening, and Hakyeon feeling the need to come to his rescue, was just too much. “I’m— I’m fucking stupid, apparently, but I’m not that shitty of a hunter. I didn’t need to be rescued.” 

“Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon said, voice soft, and it grated on Sanghyuk’s nerves, “this wasn’t your fault, Jaehwan’s—”

“A manipulative dick, but he never lied to me, he was offering sex and I accepted,” Sanghyuk said, and Hakyeon’s mouth snapped shut. It was difficult for him to say, embarrassing, but Hakyeon needed to know. This had gone far enough. “I’m not glamoured, Hakyeon, and he didn’t— I wasn’t unwilling.” 

Hakyeon paused. “Alright,” he said, placating, “so what happened, then?”

“I went to see him, last night,” Sanghyuk mumbled, and he saw Hakyeon’s hands tighten on the steering wheel. “I know it was dumb, but I— I wanted to talk this out, to stop it, and I just assumed Wonshik and Hongbin would be there.”

“They were with me,” Hakyeon mumbled, guilty. “I should have told you, but you said you wanted space and I thought—

“It doesn’t matter now, Hakyeon.”

“If I’d told you, then this wouldn't have happened—”

Sanghyuk whispered, “I think it would have, eventually.”

There was a pause. “You said you went there to put a stop to it,” Hakyeon said eventually, “so, why did you—”

“Because I— I didn’t really want to stop it,” Sanghyuk said, lips feeling numb. “I knew it’s what I should have wanted, knew it’s what you and Wonshik wanted, and I just— I thought it was what I was supposed to be doing, because it was right.” He swallowed. “But I wanted him too much, and he’s— persuasive.” 

Hakyeon was tapping the steering wheel agitatedly. “And you’re sure you weren’t glamoured—”

“Hakyeon.”

“I just don’t _understand_ , Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon said, voice rising, “he’s— he’s—”

“He’s a vampire,” Sanghyuk said. “You should understand, you really should.”

“If you’re referring to me and Taekwoon,” Hakyeon said hotly, “then that’s different and you know it.”

Sanghyuk felt his temper rising, the hollowed feeling in his chest dissipating under the anger and he revelled in it. “You’re such a fucking hypocrite.”

Hakyeon took his eyes off the road long enough to gape at him. “ _What_?”

“Why do you get to want a vampire, to fuck a vampire, and it’s fine, but I can’t?”

“Because Taekwon doesn’t do— do _this_ to me,” Hakyeon fairly shouted, gesturing at Sanghyuk’s torso, at his bloody shirt. “You’re walking like you got hit by a truck, what did Jaehwan _do_ to you? And can you honestly look me in the eyes and tell me you— you wanted this?”

Sanghyuk bit the tip of his tongue hard. “But you didn’t know, you didn’t know things would work out the way they did, you just took the leap and hoped he wouldn’t hurt you,” he pointed out. “And I— I wanted the sex, the biting, things just— just got a little rough.” He felt his cheeks warm, wondering if he was trying to fool himself as well as Hakyeon. _A little rough_. He could barely sit down. Sanghyuk didn’t want to be defending Jaehwan, because he _had_ gotten too rough, but Sanghyuk also wasn’t going to let Hakyeon think he was some kind of fucking victim when he’d enjoyed it. And he had. It had been intense, painfully, _wonderfully_ intense, his body strained to the max. If fucking Jaehwan had dialed it back a notch or two, it would have been pure bliss. 

Except for afterwards, and the rough feeling in his chest. But Sanghyuk was beginning to realize that was on his own shoulders, not Jaehwan’s. He could blame Jaehwan for the physical aches and twinges, but his emotions— Jaehwan had never made any promises with those.

“A little rough,” Hakyeon echoed, fairly screeching, and Sanghyuk winced. “Vampires can’t be rough with humans, we _break_.”

“Well, I’m not _broken_ ,” Sanghyuk said, scowling fiercely. “I know you were worried, Wonshik too, and I’m sorry for that, and I also know it was stupid, okay? I realized that the moment I became aware that I was alone with Jaehwan, trapped underground, no one around to help me when I started screaming. But he didn’t— he didn’t hurt me, I thought that was the moment he was going to turn on me, I thought I was going to die— but Jaehwan had been telling the truth all along, he didn’t want to kill me, he just— wanted sex. And I wanted it too.” Sanghyuk picked at the hem of his t-shirt, the embarrassment coming back as his anger faded. “Maybe it was a mistake, maybe it wasn’t exactly what I was hoping it was going to be, but it was my fucking mistake to make, Hakyeon, and I’m not going to regret it.” Sanghyuk took a deep breath, feeling something inside him settle. “I’m alright. I’m alright with what happened.” 

Hakyeon wasn’t looking at him, was staring ahead at the road, a complex expression on his face. It looked like fear. “I’m not.”

“Yeah, well, it was my choice, not yours,” Sanghyuk mumbled, slumping down in his seat. “It’s over, anyway. He got what he wanted.” Sanghyuk wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about that, wasn’t sure if he wanted it to be over or not. It didn’t matter though, because he rather thought that, after that spectacle Hakyeon had just put on, Jaehwan was going to be avoiding Sanghyuk like the plague. 

Hakyeon whispered something to himself, too softly for Sanghyuk to properly hear, but he rather thought it sounded like _I hope so_.

Sanghyuk pressed his lips together, turning away from Hakyeon so he could stare stonily out the window. He felt, horribly, like he might cry. This was all just too much, and Sanghyuk was too mortified. Jaehwan luring him into his bed with sweet words, Sanghyuk falling for it, that stung enough, being duped like that, but he hadn’t, after all, come out of it empty handed. He’d gotten what he wanted for the most part, good sex, intense sex, _vampire_ sex, and it had been one hell of an experience if nothing else. Once in a lifetime. He’d have to deal with the facts later, the reality and conflicting morals of sleeping with a creature like Jaehwan, the hollow feeling in his chest, but he could come to terms with it. He knew he could. He wouldn’t have done it if he didn’t think he could. 

But something about Hakyeon barging in, like Sanghyuk was some small child needing to be rescued, turned what had happened from something Sanghyuk could have looked back on with only mild embarrassment into utter humiliation. He hadn’t needed it. At all. That Hakyeon had taken a situation Sanghyuk could have handled and twisted it around so it had been handled the way _he_ saw fit— Sanghyuk, weirdly, felt betrayed. He knew Hakyeon hadn’t meant it that way, was just concerned, but here he was, even now, trying to tell Sanghyuk how he _should_ be feeling about this. 

Sanghyuk found that he felt lower now, after Hakyeon had gotten through with him, than he had when Jaehwan had finally rolled off of him. 

They turned, a little sharply, and Sanghyuk realized they were on his street, thank fuck. He really wanted to be out of this car, felt dangerously near tears. He was grinding his teeth together so hard in an attempt to keep himself from crying that his jaw was beginning to ache. 

Hakyeon pulled up to the curve and made to cut the engine, but he stuttered as he glanced over at Sanghyuk, seeing something in his face. “Oh, Sanghyuk,” he said, tone sad.

That really didn’t help. “Don’t, Hakyeon,” Sanghyuk said stiffly, unbuckling his seat belt. 

“It’s going to be alright,” Hakyeon said, reaching to rest his hand on Sanghyuk’s arm but Sanghyuk flinched away, as best he could in the small space. Hakyeon’s hand fell away. “We’ll fix this, Jaehwan won’t bother you again—”

“No,” Sanghyuk burst out, louder than he meant to, “no, this isn’t— I’m not upset right now because of what happened with Jaehwan, I’m upset with— with _you_.” The tears that had been threatening to spill over for miles finally did so, and Sanghyuk wiped them away impatiently. Hakyeon looked taken aback, opening his mouth to say something but Sanghyuk was already speaking again. “You try to make me do everything _you_ think I should do, despite whatever is actually coming out of my mouth, and if I do it differently, then I’m wrong, and you try to rationalize it by taking away my agency and— and pinning it on evil, outside forces.”

Hakyeon’s voice rose along with Sanghyuk’s. “That’s _not_ —”

“Yes, it is,” Sanghyuk countered, nearly shouting over him. “I slept with Jaehwan, so I must have been glamoured, I must have been lied to and conned, and even though I’ve told you that’s not true, you just keep— keep insisting, because you can’t wrap your head around the idea that maybe I wanted to do something you didn’t think I should do, that maybe _we’re different fucking people_.”

“I just think something is not right here!” Hakyeon yelled.

“ _That’s my point_ , but here, I’ll clear it all up for you,” Sanghyuk said, voice nasty. “I wanted it, I wanted to fuck Jaehwan. He asked me, asked if I wanted to fuck him, and I said yes, I spread my legs for him, I _let_ him— but you, you just come trampling in, over my wishes, over what I’ve said I want, and it's not just this time Hakyeon, it's constant, and I'm tired of it. This betrayal of trust, this dismissal of my thoughts and feelings.” Sanghyuk laughed. “Like, maybe Jaehwan took it too far, but he’s Jaehwan, and I never trusted him to start with, what’s your excuse?” 

“I love you, Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon spat. “I thought I was helping.”

Sanghyuk opened the car door. “You’re _crushing_ me.” 

He slid out of the car, shutting the door before Hakyeon could reply, striding towards the entrance of his building. He had the door open and was through it before Hakyeon could scramble out of the car. 

When he made it into his apartment, shutting the door felt like bliss. The spells sealed him in, leaving him in silence, in peace, all alone. It was dim, the lights all off and the blinds drawn, and Sanghyuk almost welcomed the darkness. He let out a shaky sigh, heading to the window, peering through the blinds just in time to see Hakyeon’s car speed away. 

Sanghyuk let his head fall forward, thunking against the window frame. “I love you too, Hakyeon,” he mumbled, “but you can’t keep doing this to me.” He pulled away from the window, shaking his head slightly. They’d have to work this out later, but for now, Sanghyuk had other things to think about, so he put Hakyeon out of his mind resolutely. 

Once he’d decided that, though, he floundered for what to do next. The blood on his shirt was beginning to dry and crust, so he decided showering was in order. And maybe after that he’d eat and take some painkillers and go back to sleep. 

He went to his kitchen, running the water in the sink until it was piping hot and then putting the stopper down so the basin filled with water. Maybe he’d be able to salvage the shirt if he soaked it, he thought, tugging it over his head. As he pushed the material into the water he noticed redness on his own hands, his fingertips, and he realized he had blood under his nails. After staring down at his hands for a moment, he remembered— dragging his nails down Jaehwan’s back— Sanghyuk found himself blushing. He shoved his hands into the hot water and scrubbed at them. 

Sanghyuk had fucked a vampire. And he’d gotten off on it too. Quite a few times. His blush deepened, cheeks feeling hot. He wondered what Jaehwan thought about that, about him, about everything.

“He’s probably laughing at you,” Sanghyuk announced to no one in particular, and then he turned the water off. He made to stomp to his bathroom, but had to stop, because he was sore in places that were decidedly embarrassing. 

Sanghyuk didn’t want to look in the mirror, found he was ashamed, but also there was something else, something he didn’t want to acknowledge, something he couldn’t name until he made himself look at his reflection and found his stomach swooping and his cock twitching. He was a fucking mess, hair all over the place, lips red and swollen, and god, he really was covered in hickies and bites. He _looked_ like he’d been fucked by a vampire.

Sanghyuk bit his bottom lip, tipping his head this way and that, counting the bites. Twelve. Jaehwan had bit him twelve fucking times. Something was niggling at him, something out of place, and he didn’t realize what it was until he was staring at the dried blood from the wound that had reopened during his scuffle with Hakyeon. 

There wasn’t any blood on him, aside from the trail from the reopened wound. And he knew that wasn’t right, he’d been positively _smeared_ with the stuff, Jaehwan’s mouth stained with it as he nipped his way all over Sanghyuk’s body. There had also been a— a distinct stickiness, between Sanghyuk’s legs, when he’d fallen asleep, that was most definitely not there now.

Had Jaehwan cleaned him up? That seemed the only logical explanation, and Sanghyuk found his upper lip curling at the emotion that welled up his throat at the thought. “He just did it so I wouldn’t stain his sheets any more than I already had,” he said to his reflection meanly, knowing it was the probably the truth, but it did little to quash the raw, rough feeling in his chest. 

_Why does this hurt_ , Sanghyuk wondered. _Why am I so bothered?_

It certainly wasn’t over the physical manhandling. Jaehwan had told Sanghyuk, murmured in his ear, _I want to fuck you until you’re sweaty and exhausted, until you’re a shuddering mess in my arms_ , and he’d delivered. On some level, Sanghyuk knew that he should have expected nothing less than what he’d gotten. No, that wasn't it. He was miffed at Jaehwan for the overkill but this— this _ache_ in his chest was something else. 

After several moment’s thought, he realized what was bothering him was that he’d started liking Jaehwan, not trusting him exactly, just— liking, in a vague sort of way. Jaehwan had conned him into believing he thought Sanghyuk was something _special_. And the casual manner with which he had used him as nothing more than a hole to stick his dick into— it hurt. And Sanghyuk should have known better, did know better, now more so than before. Jaehwan had never promised emotional intimacy, he had simply promised good sex, and for the most part, had delivered on that front. Sanghyuk shouldn’t be hurt by Jaehwan using him to get off, because he, in turn, should have been simply using Jaehwan as well. 

He needed to think about it like that. Jaehwan using his body, tossing him aside— it hadn’t been personal. It had been a physical exchange, a surface encounter. He was not going to let himself be hurt emotionally by this, it was stupid, it was ridiculous. He never should have let Jaehwan in enough to be more than mildly fond of him, to think that there could ever be anything, even friendship, between them.

Jaehwan was a good fuck and nothing more. Sanghyuk realized that now.

“But if I ever see him again,” Sanghyuk muttered, “I am still going to chew him out for all these bites.”

——

Jaehwan startled himself awake, sitting up suddenly, immediately on edge. Then he stilled, listening, but there was no sound, and the house wards were still. He was alone. 

He let out a long breath, feeling like he was deflating, and flopped backwards onto the mattress. It must be after sunset, or he’d still be out, but it wasn’t long after. It felt too early. He was _tired_. And grouchy. Attempts on his life had that effect. 

Jaehwan placed a hand on his chest. There was dried blood there, though of course, the wound itself was long gone. He hadn’t had the opportunity to wash the mess off, it was only pure survival instinct that had been able to motivate him to walk all the way to the entranceway and slip the deadbolt through the main door, activating the wards there. Really, he should have seen the threat coming, and he wasn't about to let Hakyeon change his mind and come back and finish the job while the sun was out and he was still weak. _This isn’t over_. As far as Jaehwan was concerned, it was, and Hakyeon could shove a goblin up his ass. 

The room still smelled like human, like Hakyeon, but more so like Sanghyuk. Jaehwan inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Sanghyuk had saved him. Granted, Jaehwan never would have been in any danger if Sanghyuk hadn't been in his bed, but still. He’d have to give him something to show his gratitude. Another book, maybe. Or a blowjob. If fucking Hakyeon hadn’t come and stolen his little pet away, he could have given Sanghyuk a blowjob _now_. He’d planned on keeping Sanghyuk for a few days at least, but he’d been rather rudely thwarted. Now he had to re-plan.

“Rude,” Jaehwan muttered. “So rude. I’m surrounded by barbarians.”

Jaehwan lay on his bed, staring up at the canopy, unable to fall back asleep. He contemplated what he was going to do next, what course of action suited him best. After some time, the wards of his house rippled, and he tensed, but not for long. It was Wonshik, he could sense it even if the wards hadn’t told him so. And his company was made of vampires, so no wrathful hunters. 

He hadn’t expected Wonshik and Crazy to spend the day elsewhere, per se, but he should have figured they’d go to Taekwoon for shelter, and tattle on him in the process. It was, most likely, how Hakyeon had found out so quickly. Traitors. 

“I _feed_ them and _house_ them and this is the thanks I get,” he grumbled to himself, hopping off his bed and dressing quickly. He made sure to pull on clothes he wasn’t too attached to. With Taekwoon, there was always a chance Jaehwan was going to be bleeding soon. He’d rather not risk his pricier shirts.

The wards pinged at him when Wonshik reached the door, the deadbolt sliding back at his touch. Jaehwan strode into the living room to greet them as they came in.

“Wonshik! My child,” Jaehwan said easily as Wonshik came stomping into the room, “we’re going to have to have a talk about you staying out past curfew. I was worried.” Wonshik gave him an odd look, and as he did so Hongbin came slowly into the room, nose in the air, sniffing tentatively. Taekwoon was behind _him_ , scowling. What else was new. “And my dearest brother is here as well. Is this an intervention?”

“You’re alive,” Wonshik said numbly. Hongbin sidled up next to him, seeming displeased. Jaehwan knew the place still smelled like blood, but with the absence of an actual human in the place, Crazy should be able to contain himself. 

“Technically, no,” Jaehwan quipped.

“Hakyeon said he was going to kill you,” Wonshik continued, still with that odd look on his face.

Jaehwan huffed, taking on an outraged tone. “You asshole, you knew he was coming for me? You could have _warned_ me.” 

“It was daylight.”

“Exactly!” Jaehwan said, full of indignation. “I was as helpless as a newborn babe, and he was vicious, trying to murder me while I was in such a state.” He placed his hands over his silent heart dramatically, affecting a woeful expression.

Suddenly Taekwoon was in his face, grasping onto his collar and shoving him back into a wall, hard. “So why aren’t you dead?” Taekwoon murmured.

Jaehwan squinted at him. “I’ll pretend what you said just now wasn’t exceedingly hurtful—”

Taekwoon pressed his fists against Jaehwan’s collar, putting a bit too much pressure on his windpipe. “How did you stop Hakyeon from killing you,” he asked, clarifying. “What did you do to him?”

“Oh,” Jaehwan said, a sob in his voice. “I see, I see. Your little bitch almost kills me, and you’re worried what _I_ did to _him_.” He rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. “Oh, what have I done to deserve such a heartless brother.”

“Jaehwan,” Taekwoon growled lowly, fangs run out. Jaehwan thought it was cute. Taekwoon was so gone over Hakyeon, it was ridiculous. 

“I didn’t do anything to him,” Jaehwan said, trying to sound wounded. “I told you, I was helpless.”

“Just tell us what happened,” Hongbin said, voice flat. He was never any fun. “Where are Hakyeon and Sanghyuk?”

“I don’t know,” Jaehwan snapped. “One minute I was sleeping, peaceful, the next I have a— a wrathful banshee brandishing a knife at me.” He brought his hands up to grip Taekwoon’s wrists, trying to see if they’d budge. They didn’t. “It was horrible, terrifying, my sad, short life flashed before my eyes—”

“You’re three hundred years old,” Hongbin pointed out.

“So short,” Jaehwan said over him, “so many things left I haven’t done.” 

“So many young boys left to trick into your bed?” Wonshik said, lip curling in distaste.

Jaehwan dropped the act long enough to slit a glare at him. “I resent that,” he said. “There was no tricking involved.”

“This place reeks of blood,” Taekwoon said softly. “And Wonshik says Sanghyuk was covered in bites.” He blinked at Jaehwan slowly, and something about the look made Jaehwan feel small. “It sounds to me like you lost control.”

“Never!” Jaehwan said indignantly. “It was just— it was _different_ , with a human. It was enthralling, the way he trembled and gasped, heady, addictive, I wanted it over and over. I might have gotten a bit carried away but, oh, Taekwoon, can you blame me?”

“Yes,” Taekwoon said, no hesitation.

Jaehwan gave him a disbelieving look. “Oh, so you've never gotten a bit rough with your little pet?”

Taekwoon’s jaw tensed for a moment as he ground his teeth together. “It is not fun for them, when we get rough, Jaehwan.”

“I didn’t hear any complaints,” Jaehwan grumbled, not liking what they were implying. “Sanghyuk likes being bitten.” 

“No one likes being bitten that much,” Wonshik said harshly.

Jaehwan frowned. “Well,” he said stiffly, “he’s the reason I’m not properly dead, so.”

“Sanghyuk saved you?” Wonshik asked, and Taekwoon blinked. It was enough of a reaction for Jaehwan to know he was surprised.

“He stopped Hakyeon, yes,” Jaehwan said, and this time, when he tried to pry Taekwoon’s hands off his collar, Taekwoon let him. Jaehwan side stepped him, getting out from between him and the wall gratefully. “The two of them left together, I don’t know where they went.”

“Sanghyuk,” Taekwoon whispered, and then he was gone, the faint sound of the door shutting the only indication that he’d gone through it.

“No need to apologize for manhandling me or anything!” Jaehwan shrieked at the door. There was no response, of course, and he huffed, turning to Wonshik and Hongbin. “Are you two going to lay into me as well?”

“There is literally no point in trying to have any sort of conversation with you,” Wonshik said, and he strode past Jaehwan, heading for his bedroom. Hongbin followed, giving Jaehwan a strange, patronizing look as he went. 

Then Jaehwan was left standing in the middle of his living room, alone. 

——

Hakyeon tossed his second shot of the night back, revelling in the burn as it hit his throat. He’d hoped the alcohol would calm him some, but he was still seething. Expertly applied eyeliner or not, he wasn’t making for an attractive target tonight. The rage was rolling off him in what felt like palpable waves.

He should have called out. But he’d managed to get a handle on his earlier upset, from the fight with Sanghyuk, and he thought— they’d been scheduled together tonight, for a fishing trip, and he thought they’d have a chance to try and talk again. 

And then Sanghyuk hadn’t showed.

Hakyeon wasn’t exactly surprised, but it meant he got stuck with fucking Jongwoon, the bumbling buffoon. And now Hakyeon was furious all over again, at everything.

 _You’re crushing me_ , Sanghyuk had said, and it echoed in his mind. _Hypocrite_.

Hakyeon felt like he might pop a vein. He shoved off from the bar, pushing through the crowd of writhing bodies on the dance floor roughly. He didn’t feel like being supervised, didn’t feel like putting on an act for a nameless vamp and a hunter who should have retired ten years ago. He just wanted to go out and _kill things_.

“Stupid fucking Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon snarled, shoving his way to the side door of the club, where he’d be able to slip out unseen by Jongwoon. “Stupid fucking _Jaehwan_.” He pushed the door open unnecessarily hard, striding with purpose away from the main street and into the long alleyway that ran behind the clubs here. “ _Stupid fucking vampires_.”

The alleyway was dark, and had a strange ambience to it. There was a slight breeze whistling through, and Hakyeon could faintly hear the bass thumping out through the bricks of the buildings that flanked him, but neither of these things affected how oppressively silent it felt, somehow. Hakyeon’s wards were prickling, agitated, the sunburst on his back hot. 

Hakyeon understood, now, why he’d been send on a fishing trip here. The hairs on the back of his nape were standing on end, his body thrumming with energy.

A rustling to his left made him jump, tensing as he whirled, ready, so ready— but, in the deep shadow cast by a dumpster, he registered a person. Human. 

“Oi,” Hakyeon said, stomping over. It was a bum, grizzled from years on the street, beard speckled with grey. 

The man held his hands up. “Don’t want no trouble.”

“Well, you’re in the wrong place for that,” Hakyeon said. “If you don’t want to go to a shelter you should at least move somewhere else. This is a shit neighborhood, you’re going to get eaten.” 

The man made a noise, it was almost a snort. “They don’t bother me none,” he said. His eyes flicked away from Hakyeon, looking past him, and he recoiled, shoving himself further into the corner of the dumpster and the wall. “It’s your like that they want.” 

_Vampire_ , his wards screamed, flaring up all at once, and Hakyeon turned, stomach swooping. He expected cold hands on him, but the vampire was still several paces away. Slim, tall, male, young. Young when it had been turned, young as a vampire. 

“You shouldn’t harass the homeless,” it said, in that liquid, vampire cadence, and it looked so fucking smug, fangs run out. 

Hakyeon found his rage tumbling back full force. He didn’t understand, he didn’t understand how Wonshik and Hongbin could be so damn human as vampires, while other humans turned and became _creatures_ , things. Predators that thrived on darkness and fear, on tormenting the weak. 

At the sound of the vamp’s voice, the bum made a soft whimper, and the vamp sort of shifted, this little gesture. It was so full of itself. 

Hakyeon could see it having done this before, dozens of times. Maybe it was the bum who had reported activity in the area, after having watched too many stupid drunk people get snatched. Hakyeon could tell the vamp had a method worked out, sneak up, make some quip, laugh as the humans tried to run, chase them down, kill. It was staring at Hakyeon, waiting. Waiting for him to run, to beg. 

Not fucking tonight. 

Hakyeon strode towards the vamp, his heartrate picking up. It had been so fucking long since Hakyeon had felt the adrenaline induced thrill of being around an unknown vamp, the energy of his wards sparking along his skin. He felt so clear, so alive. So angry. 

The vamp looked bemused, but not afraid. It probably thought Hakyeon was drunk, or maybe on some sort of drug, so it just kept staring at him with an eyebrow quirked. By the time Hakyeon reached it, he was practically running, and he brought his fist up, using his momentum to add weight to the punch. The vamp actually laughed, a split second before Hakyeon’s fist made contact with its stupid fucking smug face. The laugh cut off when Hakyeon’s wards blew at the contact, a ripple of energy Hakyeon felt all the way to his toes. 

The vamp went down, tumbling onto the asphalt, a most comical stunned looked on its features. Hakyeon was on it before he could register what he was doing, silver blade pulled out of its ankle holster, the weight of it familiar and glorious in Hakyeon’s hand. The vamp gave a cry as Hakyeon brought the blade down, not aiming, too full of burning fire to think where he was stabbing, just needing to tear something apart. And again, and again. Someone behind Hakyeon was screaming.

His first strike missed the heart, as did his second, but the third finally got it, and the vamp fell still, quiet. The screaming had stopped as well, but Hakyeon didn’t care, kept bringing his blade down, until all he could see was red. The fire in his veins wouldn’t be sated.

Suddenly there were hands on his shoulders, gripping hard and pulling him up, wrenching him away from his kill. Hakyeon shrieked, the sound raw, jarringly loud, and he struggled, flailing out

The hands spun him around, then re-gripped him, and Hakyeon found himself being shaken.

“Hakyeon.”

That voice was a like a bucket of cold water to the face. 

“He’s dead, Hakyeon. He’s dead.”

Hakyeon came back to himself, eyes focusing, and as he registered Taekwoon’s concerned face, all the energy left him. He slumped against Taekwoon’s chest, his fingers loosening on the hilt of his dagger until it clattered down onto the blacktop.

“Taekwoon,” Hakyeon gasped, hands coming up to clutch weakly at Taekwoon’s shirt. He was bloody, so bloody, smearing it everywhere. “Taekwoon.”

Taekwoon made a soft noise, holding Hakyeon close, trying to soothe him. Hakyeon’s pulse was still racing, and the aftermath of the fight, the residual magic, the chemicals, were all making him shake uncontrollably. 

“Where’s the bum?” Hakyeon asked.

Taekwoon looked down at him, brow furrowed. “What?”

“The bum,” Hakyeon said again, unhelpful. “The man, the homeless man. He— he saw, he was screaming—”

Something about the way he was babbling had Taekwoon looking slightly afraid. “There was no one else here, when I arrived.”

“There was a man,” Hakyeon said, voice rising as he felt mild hysteria begin to claw up his throat.

“Ssh,” Taekwoon murmured, running his hand down Hakyeon’s back. “I believe you.”

“I’m not losing it,” Hakyeon said, feeling his face crumple. “I’m not, I’m not.”

Taekwoon didn’t say anything to that, simply gathered Hakyeon nearer, cradled him to his chest.

After several minutes, once Hakyeon’s tremors had subsided some, Taekwoon murmured into his hair, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Hakyeon let out a puff of laughter weakly. He sniffled. “I was angry, and I just— I lost it.”

A pause. “Angry at Jaehwan?” Taekwoon ventured tentatively.

“Yes,” Hakyeon whispered, still feeling a low simmer in his belly. “And at Sanghyuk. He— we fought. He was angry at me for— for meddling, I guess. I just wish he’d _listen_ to me.” He gave a hiccup. “He’s too young to realize how fucked up what Jaehwan did to him was.” 

“Mmm,” Taekwoon hummed. He pulled back, so he could look Hakyeon in the face. “Maybe so, but he is not so young that he cannot make his own choices, Hakyeon.”

Hakyeon jerked back as if Taekwoon had slapped him. “But he’s— he— don’t you get it? He doesn’t _understand_ , and so he isn’t going to do anything about it. But just because he— he doesn’t realize how fucked up it was— that doesn’t somehow make it okay.” Hakyeon’s words were rushed in his upset. “He’s going to walk right back into Jaehwan’s arms, I just— I can _feel_ it, and I can’t let it happen.”

“He may,” Taekwoon said, voice still soft despite Hakyeon’s rising volume, “and he may not.” Gently, he cupped one side of Hakyeon’s face, thumb stroking along his cheekbone soothingly. “But, either way, I think you must let Sanghyuk handle this on his own.”

Hakyeon’s breath hitched. “I can’t.” He shook his head. “I can’t watch him— watch him be abused—”

Taekwoon’s mouth twisted. “I think if you want to keep Sanghyuk's affection for you, you must. You've already driven a wedge between you two, and if you keep trying to control him, Hakyeon, you're just going to press it in further.”

“I'm not trying to control him,” Hakyeon said despairingly, “I'm trying to protect him.”

“By controlling him,” Taekwoon murmured, gentle, so very gentle, but it still struck Hakyeon like a physical blow.

Hakyeon sobbed, burying his face against Taekwoon’s chest. “I love Sanghyuk,” he moaned.

“I know,” Taekwoon said, immediate, definite.

“What do I do?” Hakyeon asked brokenly. 

This reply took longer to come, and it was softer, halting. “Instead of trying to force Sanghyuk to do what you think is right— what may _be_ right, just be there for him when he realizes he's erred. Let him make his own choices, and help him pick himself back up if he falls.” 

Fuck, Taekwoon made it sound so easy. “Is there any way this could work out?” Hakyeon asked. “This thing between Jaehwan and Sanghyuk.”

Taekwoon hummed in thought. “If by that you mean Jaehwan and Sanghyuk becoming— like us, then no. Jaehwan is not capable of such a relationship,” he said, and Hakyeon felt his stomach twist. It wasn’t Jaehwan’s heart on the line here, it was Sanghyuk’s. After a few more moments of thought, Taekwoon continued, “But if you mean the both of them coming out of this whole and intact— yes. Much of it rides on Sanghyuk, obviously. The best course of option would be to terminate this— this liaison entirely, but if he doesn’t then he must emulate Jaehwan’s mentality, approach it as nothing more than a physical release.”

“What about Jaehwan?” Hakyeon asked. “He got what he wanted— could he not decide to simply— simply drop this?”

“He might,” Taekwoon murmured. “He does get bored easily.”

Something about the tone of Taekwoon’s voice told Hakyeon it wasn't going to be that easy.

——

Sanghyuk lay facedown on his floor, hair damp, towel wrapped around his waist. Bored. He was bored. But he didn’t know what to do about it.

As he lay on his dirty carpet, cheek indented from the pattern of the berber, the sun went down, plunging his apartment into darkness. Normally he’d be hurrying to dress and get out the door, rushing to work, but he’d called out. Again. The third night in a row. He knew he wouldn't be able to get away with it for much longer, soon they’d send someone to check on him. 

He just didn’t want to deal with Hakyeon right now, and felt too preoccupied about all the loose ends dangling from his encounter with Jaehwan to concentrate properly. There were too many thoughts swirling around in his head, too many words he’d wanted to say but hadn’t gotten a chance to. He’d be a sitting duck in the field. 

It was stupid, he’d wanted quiet, and he’d gotten it, but the lack of— of— communication, he supposed, from all the knowledgeable parties was driving him a bit mad. So all he was doing was sitting around in his apartment, stewing in the knowledge that he’d fucked _Jaehwan_ , and that everyone close to him fucking knew about it. And no one was saying anything to him. No one had come by, not Hakyeon, nor Wonshik, and on some level Sanghyuk knew that was probably good, as any conversation on the matter would most likely end up with them trying to boss Sanghyuk about, and Sanghyuk getting pissed. He was tired of this circle repeating itself. But he wasn’t sure if this silence was any better.

And then there was Jaehwan, who, upon getting what he wanted, apparently didn’t give a shit about how Sanghyuk was faring in the aftermath. Sanghyuk refused to let himself be disappointed by that. 

Sanghyuk sat up. “Whatever,” he announced to the dark, empty room. “Whatever, I am just going to continue my SVU marathon, enjoy my last night off, and then buck up and go into work tomorrow. Yes.” 

He stood, gathering all his laptop paraphernalia together to bring into his bedroom, when there was a faint tap.Thinking maybe he’d dropped something on the floor, he glanced down, searching, but there was nothing.

The wards of his house rippled. Another tap, louder, coming from his bedroom. Fingertips on glass, Sanghyuk realized, and his stomach swooped. This was familiar. He put his laptop back on the coffee table, shaky.

 _Tap tap tap_.

Sanghyuk floundered for something to cover up with, but he didn’t have any fucking clothes in his living room. They were, obviously, in his bedroom.

“Oh, fuck it,” he muttered. He secured the towel more firmly around his waist, and, head held high, marched into his bedroom.

Even though he’d expected it, seeing Jaehwan perched on his window ledge still made his wards prickle in agitation, his heartrate speed up. Vampire.

Jaehwan was grinning at him, crouched precariously on the slim beam of wood. He was holding something, but it was shielded from Sanghyuk’s gaze. With his free hand, he tapped on the glass again.

“Open up, love,” Jaehwan said, the sound muffled through the glass.

Sanghyuk took a deep breath before striding forward and unlatching the window, sliding the pane open. Then he braced his hands against the frame in an attempt to look imposing, assertive, even though he was trembling. The way Jaehwan was looking at him, fangs run out, was doing things to him, horribly familiar things, and Sanghyuk was furious at himself for still wanting him, even now.

“Why are you here?” Sanghyuk asked, pleased when his voice came out strong. “You got what you wanted from me.”

Jaehwan blinked, smile flickering at his tone. “I’m here to thank you, for keeping your mentor from carving out my cold heart, and to discuss a— a proposition of sorts with you.” He cocked his head to the side. “I would have done so after you’d woken up from our little session, but we were so rudely torn apart. I was going to propose an encore.” 

Sanghyuk’s jaw fell slack. “Again?” he said slowly, utterly incredulous. “You want to go _again_ , after what you did to me last time.” Jaehwan simply looked bemused, and Sanghyuk found himself laughing, the sound hollow and cold, nothing like himself. “God, you really have no clue about anything, do you? You’re really just that— that callous.”

Jaehwan’s face closed off, eyes shuttering right before his eyebrow quirked, a patronizing expression pulling at his features. He settled against the window frame more comfortably. “I don’t like being talked down to, love, so just enlighten me. I was under the impression you'd enjoyed our little— escapade.”

Sanghyuk blew out a breath, not knowing how to say this without sounding like a fool. “I signed on for sex but I didn’t sign on for— for the kind of sex we had. It wasn’t— entirely pleasant for me,” he said, adding in a mutter, “I still can’t sit down properly.”

“If you weren’t enjoying it, you should have said so,” Jaehwan said, frowning. 

Sanghyuk scoffed. “Would you have stopped?”

“Yes.”

That brought Sanghyuk up short. He wasn't sure if he believed it. 

“As I said,” Jaehwan said lazily, eyes going hooded, “I was under the impression you'd enjoyed it. I like my bedmates to be having as much fun as I am, I didn't mean to hurt you.”

“Uh,” Sanghyuk said, tone dripping disbelief. He gestured at the bite marks, all twelve fucking pairs. 

Jaehwan huffed, impatient. “I didn't mean to hurt you in a way that was— simply unpleasant. You enjoy being bitten.”

“Not this much,” Sanghyuk said flatly, and something about the statement caused Jaehwan’s face to twist. Jaehwan looked so put out that Sanghyuk was driven to add, “I liked the start. I liked the start a lot.” It was true, and they were the memories, the feelings, the pleasure, that Sanghyuk was going to hold on to, relive again and again. He didn’t want Jaehwan to think it had all been unpleasant. “It was just that, by the end, Jaehwan— it was too much. I'm human, you know, I can’t— I _can’t_. And then you just left me on the bed, weak and hurting, and fuck, I felt so low.”

Jaehwan’s face twisted again, but this time it was in derision. “We're not lovers,” he said, snide. “Should I have cuddled you? Told you I loved you?”

Sanghyuk blushed, and a wave of anger rushed noxiously through him. “No,” he spat, “I don't expect that from you, I don’t _want_ it from you.” And as Sanghyuk said it, he realized it was the truth. He didnt want to trust Jaehwan with anything emotional ever again. He’d just shatter it. 

“Well, good, because you're not going to get it,” Jaehwan said, lip curled. “I don’t want a relationship. I want to fuck you again, but not if I'm going to have to light candles and play jazz music and tiptoe around you for fear of hurting your delicate feelings.”

Sanghyuk’s hands balled into fists. “I'm not asking for romance, Jaehwan, I'm just asking for a little fucking consideration of the fact that I am human and I have limits that you don’t,” he said, voice rising with each word. He stepped away from the window, turning his back on Jaehwan’s stupid face. “And if you can’t at the very fucking least manage that then you can find another place to stick your cock.”

After a pause, Jaehwan muttered, “As of right now, you're the only place I want to stick my cock.”

Sanghyuk turned, simply so he could shoot Jaehwan an unimpressed look. “I'm so flattered.”

Jaehwan bit his bottom lip, shifting on the ledge. “Can I come in so we can talk about this?”

“No.” Sanghyuk didn’t even think about it.

Jaehwan made a frustrated noise. “I'm sorry,” he snapped. “Alright? I'm sorry I hurt you.”

“You're just saying that because you want in my pants again. I don't think you're capable of feeling remorse.”

“I'm remorseful if what I did means you won’t fuck me again,” Jaehwan said petulantly, and Sanghyuk couldn’t help but laugh. God, Jaehwan was such a parody of himself, it was downright comical. At the sound, though, Jaehwan perked up some. “Come on, love, give me another chance.”

Sanghyuk could feel himself being worn down. “You've already blown it twice,” he said. “You were a dick after you bit me the first time, and then you were a dick after you fucked me. Once you get what you want you're just— awful.”

“I'm always a dick,” Jaehwan pointed out. “But in the interest of having you again, I will— will try to be less of a dick.”

That was unexpected. Sanghyuk felt his eyebrows shoot up. “Really?”

Jaehwan nodded, face serious. He added, in an unusually soft tone, “And we'll— we'll talk about these considerations I need to make for you. If you even are interested in— pursuing this. Do you want to fuck me again?”

Sanghyuk swallowed thickly, remembering the feeling of Jaehwan between his legs. “Maybe,” he whispered, squirming a bit at the thoughts coming unbidden to his mind. Jaehwan had made him feel things he'd never known he could, had given Sanghyuk cravings he didn’t think he could satiate anywhere else. On some level, Sanghyuk wanted to try again, but more than that, he wanted this to work. He wanted that feeling again, his skin alight, body pulled sweetly taut, and he didn’t think anyone else, anyone _human_ could manage it. 

But it all hinged on Jaehwan cooperating. 

“If you toned it down, and it was more like— like how it was when we first started, then yes. I do want to fuck you again,” Sanghyuk murmured, the words tasting like poison in his mouth. A flash of triumph, burning, passed over Jaehwan’s face, and then it was gone. “I just want you to remember that I’m human,” Sanghyuk added quickly. “I don’t heal like you do, I can’t— do everything that you can.” He had to look away, at the floor, for this next bit, cheeks burning. “I like it a bit rough, I do, and I like the biting but— I need you to be more careful.” All these conditions. Sanghyuk laughed, shortly. “Knowing all that, do you still want to fuck me?”

“Yes,” Jaehwan replied, unhesitating.

Sanghyuk’s stomach was suddenly in knots. He hadn’t actually thought Jaehwan would agree, thought he’d laugh his way all the way home. But if he was actually willing— 

Sanghyuk jerked back, shaking his head. “We’ll see, alright? I can’t now, anyway, I'm— I'm still—”

“Not now,” Jaehwan said easily. “You need time, we'll give you a few weeks. I don't want to cause more damage.”

 _No, you don’t want to damage the merchandise_ , Sanghyuk thought, a little bitter. 

In the pause that followed, Sanghyuk’s attention was brought back to whatever it was Jaehwan was cradling in his hand. “What is that?” he asked.

“Ah,” Jaehwan said, tone lightening. “It’s my thank you gift.” He held it up, so the moonlight could illuminate it. 

It was another book, smaller, more ordinarily sized. Sanghyuk approached the window again. “Thank you gift?” he said warily. “For what, letting you take my virginity?”

Jaehwan snorted. “No, nothing so ridiculous. It’s for saving me from Hakyeon. I am quite grateful.”

Sanghyuk hesitated only a moment before reaching out, plucking the book from Jaehwan’s hands. It was leatherbound, like the other, but it seemed newer, the pages not as fragile. The title, though, had been worn off, so to find out what it was about, Sanghyuk would have to actually read it. Drat. He still hadn’t read the first one.

As Sanghyuk was examining the book, Jaehwan asked, “If you were angry at me for hurting you, why didn’t you let Hakyeon kill me?”

Sanghyuk looked at Jaehwan, confusion written across his features. “I might have been angry, Jaehwan, but I didn’t want you _dead_ over it. I’m not that petty.”

“Thank you,” Jaehwan said softly, and somehow, Sanghyuk knew that was the most truthful, raw thing Jaehwan had ever said to him. 

Sanghyuk shrugged, not wanting to address that thought. He held the book against his chest. “Is that it?”

Jaehwan tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“I mean we’ve— we've talked, and you've given me this, so you can— can go home now. I’m not going to be able to fuck you again tonight, so just— just come back in a few weeks, I guess, and we’ll talk about it more then.” Sanghyuk felt silly, shuffling his feet a little.

Jaehwan blinked at him slowly. “When I said I still wanted to fuck you, I didn’t mean it as a one time deal, Sanghyuk. And I didn’t mean sex was simply all I wanted from you. I want your companionship as well, to an extent. I enjoyed the sex, oh yes, but I also enjoyed everything that led up to it too.”

Sanghyuk stared at him incredulously. “You want to be fuck buddies, is that what you’re saying?” he asked, not bothering to hide his surprise. 

“That is exactly what I’m saying,” Jaehwan said, seeming delighted that Sanghyuk had caught on so quickly. 

“I didn't think you had the attention span for that,” Sanghyuk said honestly. “I figured you'd get bored of me after fucking me a couple of times and— and that would be it.”

“You sell yourself short, love,” Jaehwan said, a slight purr in his voice. “Your infinite charms have captured me.”

“Oh, save it,” Sanghyuk mumbled, but he was blushing.

Jaehwan grinned at him, fangs glinting in the low light. “Is that a yes?”

Sanghyuk sighed heavily. This was a different arrangement than Sanghyuk had anticipated, but it could be better, better than another one-off. It left room for trial and error, for them to work towards sex that left both of them utterly sated. 

Sanghyuk hated himself.

He opened his mouth, the words feeling like they were coming from someone else, “Only if you promise— _promise_ to make accommodations for my mortality in the bedroom. I’m human, so you’ll need to be a bit careful with me. And not be such a dick.”

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” Jaehwan said, and it echoed, familiar in Sanghyuk’s mind, “so long as you, in turn, promise to not expect more from me than I can give.” Jaehwan met his gaze, eyes clear. “I will not, cannot, love you, there will never be affection between us, only amiable companionship at best, and please do not confuse that for _friendship_. It isn’t. If you can’t manage that, if you want me to hold you after we fuck, comfort you, _care_ — then, as much as I want you in my bed again, we'll both have to look elsewhere for our pleasures.” He paused. “Do we have a deal?”

Sanghyuk held his gaze for a long moment, before he finally looked down, stepping away from the window.

“Come in.”


End file.
